IOWA
WCF Courier
By Pat Kinney
WATERLOO | A former Dubuque man who alleges he was sexually abused by a priest as fourth-grader in 1985 says the Archdiocese of Dubuque prematurely concluded its investigation of the incident in clearing the priest.
“It is clear that the archdiocese chose to make this decision before receiving all the facts,” Jeff Buchheit said in a statement released through the Waterloo law firm of Dutton, Braun, Staack & Hellman, which is representing him in his claims against the archdiocese. “Clearly, the investigator was told by the archdiocese to stop working on the matter before all of his work on the case was complete.”
Earlier this week, Dubuque Archbishop Michael Jackels said the Archdiocesan Review Board considered evidence against the Rev. Leo Riley and that church officials hired a licensed private investigator to interview Riley and Bucheit, who is now 39 and made the accusations in March.
Jackels said in a Sunday letter to parishioners that “the best information available does not support a reasonable belief that the allegation is true.”
“Unless additional evidence is presented, there is no need to pursue it any further,” Jackels said.
Riley had served as a Church of Resurrection associate pastor in 1985 and 1986. He was placed on leave as a pastor in the Diocese of Venice, Fla., after the allegations surfaced.
“Jackels’ letter to the parishioners came out only five days after my lengthy interview” by the investigator, Buchheit said.
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